Episode 1.0, The Unaired Pilot (60-min. "Study in Pink")

[Inge l-w]

Dear fellow members,

After watching the pilot episode, I can only wish for one thing: that the then-BBC Comptroller hadn't changed her mind (souvent femme varie, bien fol qui s'y fie : it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind, it's a foolish man who trusts that variability :Henri IV of France, the first Bourbon king.

The ambience is beautiful, a semi-modern, semi-Edwardian setting, especially with the Chesterfield sofa and wing chair. The mirror is already there, above the wall, as is the small Arabic coffee table, where, much later Dr Watson discovers Claire de la lune ( misnomer, should have been Clair de la Lune from the homonym out of the children's song), the pink lamp shades already in position, ready to serve in The Diogenes Club and in Mycroft's private residence in TRF and SIB.

Dr Watson and Mike Stamford actually lunch at the Criterion, ACD canon compliant, the only approximation the producers could manage on the re-run was take-away coffee from the same source and hope that the fans would pick up the hint.

Dr Watson's phone starts the whole iPhone campaign, although it was changed in the 90 minute version.

The hair looks much better not curled to death, although Benedict was much younger then.

Jeans and multi-coloured shirts notwithstanding, the signature coat is already there!

Lovely rooftop scene with the black-clad Sherlock looking a bit like a superhero!

The cabbie has a different Motorola pink phone in the Headless Nun scene.

The murder victim had apparently colour-coordinated everything except her nail colour, and she did not scratch the all-important message on the floorboards.

A refreshing lack of Mycroft's over-long nose poking his way into his younger brother's affairs, as it should be, per canon.

A slight hint about The Empty House, firing a gun from the opposite side of the street into 221B Baker Str.

Sherlock vaulting over the coffee table in his excitement to get to the case!

Never cared about any of the music in this modern version, so the score is unimportant.

Simply loved every bit of it! Had the right beats for any ACD enthusiast and the right feel of a modern version.

Edited May 26, 2015 by Inge l-w

[J.P.]

I definitely don't like the soundtrack-version: it's synthetic. And the film seems to start in the middle of a scene.

 

But I still like the blanket scene more in the Pilot.

 

And I really wonder how Sherlock, and Lestrade look so much younger, it looks like 5 years instead of 1-2 years. And I don't see the difference in the pool scene, even if it is pointed out in the commentary. Maybe it is the cheap camera

 

Is it only me or Sherlock's deep voice makes him more mature, even if he looks like a kid?

 

 

[Arcadia]

Well, my little experiment met with only minor success. I watched bits of three Basil Rathbone versions. (I agree with Moftiss, the ones in the contemporary setting are far more entertaining.) Watched the Jeremy Brett version of the Speckled Band (excellent, largely due to the plucky heroine) and snippets of others (drier than I remembered, although Brett himself is always fun to watch.) Read a couple ACD stories; all with the purpose of obscuring as much of my memory of the current Sherlock as possible before watching the pilot.
 
Started well; there's John Watson, sure, he fits. Yeah, the contemporary setting takes some getting used to; ohhhh, don't like this version of the title music, ick, that's futuristic, not contemporary! The riding crop's a bit over the top, hmmm. Young Sherlock's cute but a bit callow for a lead character; good dialog but it seems like this show's aimed at kids. Ehh, so far, haven't seen anything that would make me choose to watch this show over any other.
 
Then Sherlock gave his little jump for joy in front of the window.
 
After that I was sunk, I couldn't take my eyes off this marvelous creature and immediately began comparing what I was seeing with the broadcast version, totally forgot about the other versions. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted!
 
So, there are some bits in the pilot that I actually prefer; John's reaction when Mrs. Hudson tells him to rest his leg; Sherlock's boyishness; the fake drunk scene. Some things in the revised version I prefer are; Sherlock's even bigger jump for joy and spinning around the room, the way they first show him with the three patches, the chase through the streets and the subsequent laughter which bonds them together.
 
The big difference, of course, is the overall tone of the thing. In the first version, Sherlock actually does seem very contemporary to me. The jeans, the hair, the winsome appeal ("but I need an assistant!"), the willingness to wear the proper gear at the investigation; even the way he reacts to Molly (more clueless, less smug) ... all feel relatively normal for a show set in 2010. Decent, but not aiming very high; like one of those teenager-oriented shows on the WB (or whatever it's called now.)
 
The Sherlock we get a year later, though, is a more alien, more out-sized creature. He's more Victorian than modern in his style and outlook; more reserved, more adult, more acidic, more polished, more of a handful. And John plays a bigger role right from the start; in the pilot we're observing him more, in the aired version, we're observing through him more, and he's a bit harder edged.
 
The script's not that different except for the obvious addition of Mycroft; but they wisely chose to alter the ending, from Sherlock being half-stoned (and slightly ridiculous looking) to being fully in control of his senses and yet still unable to resist risking his life. That's a much darker interpretation and it's served them well.
 
I still don't get where Moftiss came up with the rude, foul-tempered sociopath notion. In the other versions ... at least in the bits I saw/read ... Holmes is supercilious but otherwise perfectly mannered, solicitous of his clients, nearly always smiling, self-controlled, amused by but not cruel to his dear friend Watson, droll, a bit effete. Not very fleshed out, frankly, though Brett layered on a few eccentric twitches. Our Sherlock is more nuanced, imo ... and therefore a lot harder to figure out. That's more contemporary, I guess.
 
Our Watson is a big improvement over all the others, imo ... more emotionally complicated, more calculating, more willing to fight back when dissed. I love that about our John; he admires, but is not intimidated by, Sherlock's brilliance.
 
Hmmm.... seems like there was something else but I've already rattled on too long..... Oh. Paul McGuigan is a god.

[Arcadia]

And I really wonder how Sherlock, and Lestrade look so much younger, it looks like 5 years instead of 1-2 years.

I know, that drives me crazy! Even John looks a bit younger. More makeup in the pilot, maybe? Or the way it's lit? It's my understanding they originally planned for Sherlock to start out in his twenties.

 

And I don't see the difference in the pool scene, even if it is pointed out in the commentary. Maybe it is the cheap camera

If it makes you feel any better; me neither.

 

Is it only me or Sherlock's deep voice makes him more mature, even if he looks like a kid?

Yes, but there's something about his intonation in the pilot that sounds like a younger man than in the broadcast version. Or maybe he's more solemn in the second version? Anyway, something. Fascinating, isn't it? Is it acting, or did he really change that much between filmings?

 

I think one of my favorite things in both versions is the hug he gives Mrs. Hudson. Yeah, right, sociopath.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Oh, good, it's only two new posts so far [written before Arcadia showed up!] -- I was afraid y'all would be way ahead of me already.  So OK, we watched the pilot again, and I actually have a few observations in addition to what I've already posted earlier in this thread.  But first:
 

The ambience is beautiful, a semi-modern, semi-Edwardian setting, especially with the Chesterfield sofa and wing chair. The mirror is already there, above the wall, as is the small Arabic coffee table, where, much later Dr Watson discovers Claire de la lune ( misnomer, should have been Clair de la Lune from the homonym out of the children's song), the pink lamp shades already in position, ready to serve in The Diogenes Club and in Mycroft's private residence in TRF and SIB.

 

I've never really cared for the 221B set in this version (not terribly homey, and far too easy to trip over, with all those split levels), but I do agree that it's attractive and even artistic.

You're far more observant than I am, it would seem. Where is the mirror? I see a different (oval) mirror on the mantel, but didn't spot the usual cut-glass one anywhere. Likewise, I never realized that they'd re-used the little table and the pink lampshades -- though I did notice that there's a Union Jack pillow on Sherlock's (rather than John's) chair in this one.  About the only thing that seems to be exactly the same is the antelope skull with Sherlock's headphones on it.

 

... I don't see the difference in the pool scene, even if it is pointed out in the commentary. Maybe it is the cheap camera

 

Pool scene? 

 

When John receives the "Come at once" text, the display on his cell phone shows the date as "Wednesday, 14th January."  The pilot was copyrighted in 2009, so I checked my own 2009 calendar to see if January 14th was a Wednesday.  Sure enough, it was -- and I was startled to see written there "2:20 PM, Dr. Thompson" -- not John's therapist, even though his blog shows her name as Ella Thompson!  (In the 90-minute version, the date was, according to said blog, changed to January 30th.)

 

In this version, Sherlock's deadly-accurate deductions about John seem to irritate the good doctor, perhaps in an invasion-of-privacy sort of way that I don't recall from the longer version.  Once Sherlock explains how he figured things out, though, John relaxes in both versions and admires the cleverness.

 

John is perhaps a bit sharper in this version.  When Sherlock first mentions the Pink Lady's suitcase, John looks around for it (and I don't offhand recall him doing that in the 90-minute version).  Also, he very quickly realizes that Sherlock's not play-acting with the cabbie, something has gone very wrong (though admittedly that part is quite different in the 90-minute episode).

 

The candle that Antonio puts on their table really is "more romantic" in this version -- it's a retro-cliche drippy candle in a chianti bottle (versus a plain sort of votive candle in the 90-minute episode).

 

Sherlock mentions that the cabbie's victims have disappeared "from their normal lives -- from the theatre, from their home, from the office, from the pub ...."  If that is to be taken literally, then the first four victims' stories were quite different from those of the first three victims in the 90-minute episode.

 

That's enough for one post.  I'll read Arcadia's posts (and presumably respond) later.

 

[Van Buren Supernova]

I don't really have a lot of new inputs to add, since I had just post my long takes before we started the rewatch 1-2 pages back.

 

Ohya, pool scene? Which where what..?

 

One big thing I notice on the rewatch, the cabbie asked Sherlock to choose the pill or he would force it down his throat, and he said, funny enough, no one took that option.

 

In ASIP, it was replaced by gun. Good decision because I find it very hard to believe:

- that noone took the option. You are on the brink of death, and noone tried to fight that fragile looking cabbie? Yes, they were drugged, but the alternative to just surrender is absurd. At least kick his nuts, punch his face.

- I assume the cabbie would need to drug them before they arrived in his intended crime scenes or at least before they got down the cab. But then what, the cabbie dragged Jennifer Wilson up through all the stairs?

 

THE GUN.

I choose The Gun.

 

Then again, The Gun is one of my favorite moment in ASIP. It shows who Sherlock is and what is he made of.

And THE NAME! is missing, I think it's very important moment for Sherlock's character that he was on the side, but not one of the angel and he cared more about the result and the case.

 

Don't really care for mean Lestrade. He is the Dimmick (sp?) of the pilot. I read somewhere that they shaved Anderson in ASIP because he looked too much like a villain in the pilot. I think it's the other way around, he looked more like a protag with beard and I thought he was a bad guy in ASIP, until Sherlock started to insult him and he had to turn his back. :lol: (Well, a lot of people shave for Sherlock Holmes indeed).

 

It wouldn't work with Mycroft, but I like in the pilot that John introduce himself as Sherlock's doctor (well good luck with that John).

 

For 'nothing much to add', it's a long post heh...

[Arcadia]

Pool scene? 

In Scandal ... where they go from the scene filmed for TGG to the new sequence, BC supposedly looks bigger because of his prep for Khan.

 

When John receives the "Come at once" text, the display on his cell phone shows the date as "Wednesday, 14th January."  The pilot was copyrighted in 2009, so I checked my own 2009 calendar to see if January 14th was a Wednesday.  Sure enough, it was -- and I was startled to see written there "2:20 PM, Dr. Thompson" -- not John's therapist.....

Are you sure?

Sherlock mentions that the cabbie's victims have disappeared "from their normal lives -- from the theatre, from their home, from the office, from the pub ...."  If that is to be taken literally, then the first four victims' stories were quite different from those of the first three victims in the 90-minute episode.

That's one thing about the aired version ... all that part about the victims seems a bit like filler to me, I don't really need to know where they were before they died. As does the press conference, actually. That's the only thing that slightly bothers me about ASiP ... it's a bit slow to get started.

[T.o.b.y]

I did not rewatch the pilot, for reasons already stated, but I remember my favorite bit was Sherlock playing drunk and John realizing something was wrong. Isn't it funny that in the pilot, it is John who is the only one to see Sherlock Holmes' vulnerability, while in the series, he's the last one still totally believing in the great detective superhero when everybody else has found him out?

[Carol the Dabbler]

... there are some bits in the pilot that I actually prefer; John's reaction when Mrs. Hudson tells him to rest his leg; Sherlock's boyishness; the fake drunk scene. Some things in the revised version I prefer are; Sherlock's even bigger jump for joy and spinning around the room, the way they first show him with the three patches....

Yup, I agree on all of those.  Not so sure about your other point (chasing the cab), which has always seemed a bit silly to me (and apparently John agrees!).

 

... John plays a bigger role right from the start; in the pilot we're observing him more, in the aired version, we're observing through him more, and he's a bit harder edged.

Good point, though I'm not sure which I prefer -- since I don't know where they'd have gone with the pilot's Watson, how they'd have developed the character. I did like that he seemed more vulnerable, less sure of himself, which I feel is believable for a wounded soldier just back from the war.

 

Our Watson is a big improvement over all the others, imo ... more emotionally complicated, more calculating, more willing to fight back when dissed. I love that about our John; he admires, but is not intimidated by, Sherlock's brilliance.

No more "By Jove, Holmes!" huh? ;)

 

One big thing I notice on the rewatch, the cabbie asked Sherlock to choose the pill or he would force it down his throat, and he said, funny enough, no one took that option.

 

In ASIP, it was replaced by gun. Good decision because I find it very hard to believe:

- that noone took the option. You are on the brink of death, and noone tried to fight that fragile looking cabbie?

Never thought of that, but true. Maybe that's why they changed it. 

 

Pool scene? 

In Scandal ... where they go from the scene filmed for TGG to the new sequence, BC supposedly looks bigger because of his prep for Khan.

Thanks! That's the only pool scene I could think of, but it wasn't in the pilot, so I assumed I was overlooking something. And yeah, I never noticed any difference either -- though I did notice some of the odd blocking they did in hopes of preventing our noticing the differences. It worked, but may have been just as distracting as seeing the differences!

[SherlockedCAMPer]

Just got done re-watching. So prefer aired version if 221B but liked the drunk Sherlock. He does brilliant with it. Also glad they switched Lestrade's line at the end to be Mycroft's in the aired version. It was fun to see Sherlock on the roof top & John looking up. That would have been fun in the aired version. And I remember somewhere on here some months back we were wondering about a picture of Rupert Graves & what it was from. Watching the pilot, I realized either that stills shot was from the pilot or very similar to it.

 

Also realized that Sherlock was dressed Smart Casual at least part of the episode. I think I like his overall clothing look in the 90-min better. I like the hair style either way. But his hair looks less stuck to his head in the 90-min version.

 

Overall I enjoyed the pilot even though I prefer the 90-min format.

[Arcadia]

I did not rewatch the pilot, for reasons already stated, but I remember my favorite bit was Sherlock playing drunk and John realizing something was wrong. Isn't it funny that in the pilot, it is John who is the only one to see Sherlock Holmes' vulnerability, while in the series, he's the last one still totally believing in the great detective superhero when everybody else has found him out?

Ooooooh, do we agree with that? (Do we disagree with that?) I think John knows Sherlock can be vulnerable (look how protective he was in Scandal) but yeah, he does seem to believe in Mr. I'm Known To Be Indestructible too. Can he believe both things at once? Hmmmm, have to think about this.....

 

 

... there are some bits in the pilot that I actually prefer; John's reaction when Mrs. Hudson tells him to rest his leg; Sherlock's boyishness; the fake drunk scene. Some things in the revised version I prefer are; Sherlock's even bigger jump for joy and spinning around the room, the way they first show him with the three patches....

Yup, I agree on all of those.  Not so sure about your other point (chasing the cab), which has always seemed a bit silly to me (and apparently John agrees!).

 

 

That's why I love it! It's utterly ridiculous and exactly the kind of stupid thing men bond over.

 

....One big thing I notice on the rewatch, the cabbie asked Sherlock to choose the pill or he would force it down his throat, and he said, funny enough, no one took that option.

 

In ASIP, it was replaced by gun. Good decision because I find it very hard to believe:

- that noone took the option. You are on the brink of death, and noone tried to fight that fragile looking cabbie? Yes, they were drugged, but the alternative to just surrender is absurd. At least kick his nuts, punch his face.

 Funny, this was the first time I noticed that too. Why didn't Sherlock just punch his lights out? I guess he was supposed to be too drugged, but in that case, you're right, how did the cabbie get him up the stairs? Good catch.

 

Don't really care for mean Lestrade.

Was he mean? I don't recall ... but yeah, I miss Lestrade in the "drugs bust" scene, that's one of my favorite Lestrade moments.

 

It wouldn't work with Mycroft, but I like in the pilot that John introduce himself as Sherlock's doctor (well good luck with that John).

Me too, that would have been a nice bit to keep.

[Arcadia]

Just got done re-watching. So prefer aired version if 221B but liked the drunk Sherlock. He does brilliant with it. Also glad they switched Lestrade's line at the end to be Mycroft's in the aired version. It was fun to see Sherlock on the roof top & John looking up. That would have been fun in the aired version. And I remember somewhere on here some months back we were wondering about a picture of Rupert Graves & what it was from. Watching the pilot, I realized either that stills shot was from the pilot or very similar to it.

 

Also realized that Sherlock was dressed Smart Casual at least part of the episode. I think I like his overall clothing look in the 90-min better. I like the hair style either way. But his hair looks less stuck to his head in the 90-min version.

 

Overall I enjoyed the pilot even though I prefer the 90-min format.

 

Everything about the actual episode just looks better, imo. More polished, less low budget. Even the wardrobe! (Why are we all so obsessed with Sherlock's legwear suddenly? )

[Van Buren Supernova]

 

 

That's why I love it! It's utterly ridiculous and exactly the kind of stupid thing men bond over.

Nooooooo.... men only?

There is almost no bond stronger than bonding over stupid thing... like addiction about certain fictional show and characters.

 

Was he mean? I don't recall ... but yeah, I miss Lestrade in the "drugs bust" scene, that's one of my favorite Lestrade moments.

 

I find that him scolding Sherlock when he asked him to take note is unnecessary rude.

[Boton]

 

The big difference, of course, is the overall tone of the thing. In the first version, Sherlock actually does seem very contemporary to me. The jeans, the hair, the winsome appeal ("but I need an assistant!"), the willingness to wear the proper gear at the investigation; even the way he reacts to Molly (more clueless, less smug) ... all feel relatively normal for a show set in 2010. Decent, but not aiming very high; like one of those teenager-oriented shows on the WB (or whatever it's called now.)

 

The Sherlock we get a year later, though, is a more alien, more out-sized creature. He's more Victorian than modern in his style and outlook; more reserved, more adult, more acidic, more polished, more of a handful. And John plays a bigger role right from the start; in the pilot we're observing him more, in the aired version, we're observing through him more, and he's a bit harder edged.

 

The script's not that different except for the obvious addition of Mycroft; but they wisely chose to alter the ending, from Sherlock being half-stoned (and slightly ridiculous looking) to being fully in control of his senses and yet still unable to resist risking his life. That's a much darker interpretation and it's served them well.

 

I still don't get where Moftiss came up with the rude, foul-tempered sociopath notion. In the other versions ... at least in the bits I saw/read ... Holmes is supercilious but otherwise perfectly mannered, solicitous of his clients, nearly always smiling, self-controlled, amused by but not cruel to his dear friend Watson, droll, a bit effete. Not very fleshed out, frankly, though Brett layered on a few eccentric twitches. Our Sherlock is more nuanced, imo ... and therefore a lot harder to figure out. That's more contemporary, I guess.

 

Our Watson is a big improvement over all the others, imo ... more emotionally complicated, more calculating, more willing to fight back when dissed. I love that about our John; he admires, but is not intimidated by, Sherlock's brilliance.

 

 

 

OK, started the rewatch last night (with the hubby, so, yeah!), and wanted to get my initial thoughts down on the Unaired Pilot before delving into conversation.

 

I agree largely with Arcadia here.  The tone of the UP Sherlock is much different, and I vastly prefer that which we saw in SiP.  There's something about the way BC delivered the same or similar lines which allowed for a more easy-going and accessible Sherlock in the UP compared to a Sherlock in SiP who is at once contemporary and not of any time or place.  I like the SiP version.

 

I thought the script actually got tighter by the time of SiP, in spite of the fact that SiP is longer and has more plot arcs than UP.  The business at the very end, where John explains that he won't lose sleep for shooting the cabbie, feels like it was unnecessary exposition for that point in the character arc.  On the other hand, I think I understood the bluff/double bluff/triple bluff element of the poison pill "game" a little better in the UP.

 

I'm glad they got rid of the fake drunk/really drugged element of the UP.  I think the whole idea could work (and did, in SiB), but with the character being just-introduced, we needed to see him operating at his full faculties.  And, like Arcadia suggests, it makes it just a bit more chilling that Sherlock would actually play the game even being completely sober.

 

Anyway, I really enjoyed the rewatch, and I'm really glad you guys helped me get the hubby involved in rewatching, too!  That was really nice.

 

Edited to Add:  I also found that having just three victims before Jennifer instead of four in the UP worked better for me.  For some reason, a pattern of three plus Jennifer feels like time to call in Sherlock Holmes, but waiting til there's a pattern of five (four plus Jennifer) makes me wonder what the heck Scotland Yard had been up to all this time.

[Arcadia]

 

That's why I love it! It's utterly ridiculous and exactly the kind of stupid thing men bond over.

Nooooooo.... men only?

There is almost no bond stronger than bonding over stupid thing... like addiction about certain fictional show and characters.

 

 

Oh yes, women have more sense than to chase after a taxi like that. We obsess over TV shows and bond on forums instead. Much more sensible. XD

 

There's something about the way BC delivered the same or similar lines which allowed for a more easy-going and accessible Sherlock in the UP compared to a Sherlock in SiP who is at once contemporary and not of any time or place.  I like the SiP version.

I was rather fascinated by that, actually. Just a slight change to his pronunciation? And more formality. It makes him rather timeless, doesn't it. Good acting/directing choice.

[sittything]

Well, finally watched the pilot Saturday night so here are my random thoughts on it:

 

 

I actually missed the press conference scene.  The part I've always found fun about that scene is that the first time I watched ASIP I thought, "The killer is texting them!!!" (see... I'm a total goldfish).  But no, it's Sherlock.  I'm not really sure if I care one way or the other for the filler of the other victims and what happens to them?  I guess I'm pretty apathetic about them one way or the other.

 

I don't care about the cab chase scene all that much, either for or against it, but I did miss the bonding/laughed that occurred after the chase scene. 

 

Overall, I was surprised how many lines were exactly the same as ASIP.

 

I'm going to be the odd man out and say I did not like the rooftop scene with Sherlock.  It felt hokey to me.  I may have laughed.  

 

EVERYTHING about ASIP is so much more polished and professional looking, and appearance-wise I don't think I'd pick anything in the pilot over ASIP.  The appearance of Sherlock's flat, his clothing, the cinematography, the music.  The difference, and IMO the improvement between the pilot and ASIP, is like night and day.

 

I was very glad to see that the pilot had many of the iconic moments I love about ASIP.  How we first see Sherlock looking into the body bag, Sherlock looking around the corner/door with the 221B Baker Street line and the wink.

 

The interesting thing to me is that I actually think the Sherlock in the pilot is more realistic, even down to his flat (which appears smaller and more cluttered), but I would never trade that more realistic version of Sherlock for the otherworldly version of ASIP.  I think I love that the Sherlock in ASIP is even less like us.  I want him to be a rare, unique creature... a bit ethereal, yet dark.  Something vaguely human, but not entirely so.  Sherlock in ASIP just seems like a more romantic, Victorian-esque version of Sherlock.  

 

I'm sure there are some more things that will come to me later, but that's what I remember off the top of my head right now.

 

 

ETA:  Oh, and I didn't realize until the very end that we hadn't seen Mycroft.  So I was disappointed he was not in the pilot, and I missed his interactions with Sherlock at the end of the episode, but clearly the episode works fine without him given that I didn't even realize that he was MIA until the end. 

 

 

[Arcadia]

The interesting thing to me is that I actually think the Sherlock in the pilot is more realistic, even down to his flat (which appears smaller and more cluttered), but I would never trade that more realistic version of Sherlock for the otherworldly version of ASIP.  I think I love that the Sherlock in ASIP is even less like us.  I want him to be a rare, unique creature... a bit ethereal, yet dark.  Something vaguely human, but not entirely so.  Sherlock in ASIP just seems like a more romantic, Victorian-esque version of Sherlock.

Agreed. It would be interesting to know why that decision was made, or if it was even conscious. A more realistic Sherlock could probably work, but the one we ended up with is something special.

[Pamela]

My favorite thing about the pilot versus the aired version was Sherlock's catching onto the London cabbie aspect and his speech about it in the restaurant - perfect.

[Van Buren Supernova]

 

 

That's why I love it! It's utterly ridiculous and exactly the kind of stupid thing men bond over.

Nooooooo.... men only?There is almost no bond stronger than bonding over stupid thing... like addiction about certain fictional show and characters.

Oh yes, women have more sense than to chase after a taxi like that. We obsess over TV shows and bond on forums instead. Much more sensible. XD

I actually did a lot of ridiculous chasing around something or running around, almost for nothing, with certain crazy best friends, obviously not chasing murderer though.

 

But the silly giggles after that were always unbelivably satisfying. :lol:

 

 

Well, finally watched the pilot Saturday night so here are my random thoughts on it:

 

 

I actually missed the press conference scene. The part I've always found fun about that scene is that the first time I watched ASIP I thought, "The killer is texting them!!!" (see... I'm a total goldfish). But no, it's Sherlock. I'm not really sure if I care one way or the other for the filler of the other victims and what happens to them? I guess I'm pretty apathetic about them one way or the other.

 

I don't care about the cab chase scene all that much, either for or against it, but I did miss the bonding/laughed that occurred after the chase scene.

 

Overall, I was surprised how many lines were exactly the same as ASIP.

 

I'm going to be the odd man out and say I did not like the rooftop scene with Sherlock. It felt hokey to me. I may have laughed.

 

EVERYTHING about ASIP is so much more polished and professional looking, and appearance-wise I don't think I'd pick anything in the pilot over ASIP. The appearance of Sherlock's flat, his clothing, the cinematography, the music. The difference, and IMO the improvement between the pilot and ASIP, is like night and day.

 

I was very glad to see that the pilot had many of the iconic moments I love about ASIP. How we first see Sherlock looking into the body bag, Sherlock looking around the corner/door with the 221B Baker Street line and the wink.

 

The interesting thing to me is that I actually think the Sherlock in the pilot is more realistic, even down to his flat (which appears smaller and more cluttered), but I would never trade that more realistic version of Sherlock for the otherworldly version of ASIP. I think I love that the Sherlock in ASIP is even less like us. I want him to be a rare, unique creature... a bit ethereal, yet dark. Something vaguely human, but not entirely so. Sherlock in ASIP just seems like a more romantic, Victorian-esque version of Sherlock.

 

I'm sure there are some more things that will come to me later, but that's what I remember off the top of my head right now.

 

 

ETA: Oh, and I didn't realize until the very end that we hadn't seen Mycroft. So I was disappointed he was not in the pilot, and I missed his interactions with Sherlock at the end of the episode, but clearly the episode works fine without him given that I didn't even realize that he was MIA until the end.

 

So, no regret?

I remember you hesitated about watching the Pilot which was also the case for me. I don't love it but I don't regret having decided to give it a try. It's kind of Bizzaro Sherlock for me, and makes me appreciate the direction they took for the series much much more.

I think I would not be a fan, would just watch and forget about it.

[sittything]

 

So, no regret?

I remember you hesitated about watching the Pilot which was also the case for me. I don't love it but I don't regret having decided to give it a try. It's kind of Bizzaro Sherlock for me, and makes me appreciate the direction they took for the series much much more.

I think I would not be a fan, would just watch and forget about it.

 

 

Amazingly, no regrets!     I thought it would disrupt my mental head-canon to know that another version of ASIP exists out there, but in reality I was very detached while watching it and never got into the episode all that much.  I think it would be interesting if I was able to watch it with a clean slate.  I wonder if the pilot would have reeled me in the way ASIP did?  After viewing the pilot, I think I would assume what you just said... that I would have watched it and then forgotten about it.  But then, I don't know if that's true or fair to the pilot, because I'll never know how I would have reacted to it without having first seen ASIP.  

[Boton]

 

 

So, no regret?

I remember you hesitated about watching the Pilot which was also the case for me. I don't love it but I don't regret having decided to give it a try. It's kind of Bizzaro Sherlock for me, and makes me appreciate the direction they took for the series much much more.

I think I would not be a fan, would just watch and forget about it.

 

 

Amazingly, no regrets!     I thought it would disrupt my mental head-canon to know that another version of ASIP exists out there, but in reality I was very detached while watching it and never got into the episode all that much.  I think it would be interesting if I was able to watch it with a clean slate.  I wonder if the pilot would have reeled me in the way ASIP did?  After viewing the pilot, I think I would assume what you just said... that I would have watched it and then forgotten about it.  But then, I don't know if that's true or fair to the pilot, because I'll never know how I would have reacted to it without having first seen ASIP.  

 

 

I think I would have liked the pilot and would have watched the show, but it would never have become "Sherlock Holmes" for me.  I came into the show more or less a "Holmes virgin," and what drew me in was the idea that this main character was the modern descendant of the Victorian detective that I really knew very little about.  SiP managed to help me understand this Sherlock as part of that same universe of characters that I was beginning to explore, but with all of the Victoriana peeled away so that it was easier to access.  (Of course, it wasn't long before I appreciated the genius of this Watson, and the beauty of the plots, but Sherlock was the "gateway drug.")

 

I think, if I had seen the UP, I would have felt about the show pretty much like I feel about Elementary.  I like it; it's fun.  Occasionally, I look at the interactions and say, "Oh, I see a hint of Sherlock Holmes there," but mostly I just enjoy it as "CSI Baker Street" and never rewatch an episode.

[sittything]

See, I think because I haven't dared watch anything else other than Sherlock, I haven't got the foggiest how much this Sherlock is like other Sherlocks or how true to character he is?  I can only assume he is, but then I think it was Arcadia above who said that this Sherlock is less socially-adept than other versions?  I won't watch other Sherlock for the same reason I didn't want to watch the UP.  lol

[J.P.]

I remember watching UP online for the first time it felt like a fan mockup video. :D

 

Have you notice that Lestrade apparently forgot who John was? They met at the crime scene, but he still asked who John was at the end of the film.

 

Yes, the new Sherlock is more... stylized, otherworldly, a beautiful alien creature. I like it better. But I wish they left the blanket scene as it was in UP - it is funny how John stands at the wall, the innocence incarnated...

[Carol the Dabbler]

I'm going to be the odd man out and say I did not like the rooftop scene with Sherlock.  It felt hokey to me.  I may have laughed.  

 

Don't worry, you're not the only one!  Several of us have similar reactions, but didn't include them in our recent analyses (presumably because we'd already discussed that scene earlier in this thread, starting here and again here).  Hokey is a good word for it, in my opinion.  Sherlock looked borderline-super-hero-ish, and John's facial expression struck me as uncomfortably close to hero worship.  Glad they dropped that.

 

[sittything]

Oh, something else I just remembered...

 

As entertaining as the faux drunk Sherlock scene was and watching him wave his arms all crazy after being drugged before being shoved into the cab, I did not care for the fact that he was drugged.  I like that everything Sherlock did in ASIP was intentional, in Sherlock's own reckless way.